We welcome the Oversight Board's decision today, April 23, 2025, on this case which deals with a Facebook comment targeting individuals with Down syndrome and other disabilities. The comment included statements in which the user said they see people on the spectrum as "a different species of human" and also mentioned, by name, a specific individual they know, stating "this girl... was also the only fat kid in class" and that people like this individual are "A different form of human."
Upon initial review, Meta left this content up. However, after the Board brought the case to our attention, we determined the content violates both our Hateful Conduct policy and our Bullying and Harassment policy, as laid out in the Meta Community Standards, and removed the content. Meta prohibits dehumanizing speech targeting people on the basis of protected characteristics, such as disability, including comparisons with or generalizations about "subhumanity." Meta also prohibits content that targets a specific person with "statements of inferiority about their physical appearance."